To A Kingdom for A Suit

A trite and usually hastily forgotten hurdle in a man's life would be the arduous job of choosing a suit. Since even a hideous troll can pass off as a charming prince with a well-fitting suit, shouldn't every sober young gentleman have the undoubted pleasure of having a bespoke suit made from scratch to suit?

Shameful to admit but the last time I actually had a suit made was for my graduation more than a decade past. Sombre, conservative all-black cut to match the sobriety of the occasion.

Swear I'm a little less uptight now. 

Isn't it time we all suited up? 

Though still considerably enamoured with formal wear and much less willing to settle for ready-to-wear. But I seriously doubt ten years of good living would allow me to squeeze into that stern black suit of mine, even if I wanted to - which sadly I can't since I have little recollection of which dusty forgotten corner of the armoire it has fallen into. Not to mention the length of time that has passed would have left the abandoned suit looking quite a bit dated. 

With several weddings on my schedule for the coming months, I could find no better reasons to have a suit made. So during this particular jaunt to Bangkok - the famed home of quick-snip professional tailors and incidentally the place I got my first suit from, I was determined to earn my made to measure pleasure. This time with a little more time and care; far less slap and dash than my previous rushed experience. 

Regular confabs with my cousins in Bangkok failed to come up with anything specific - supposedly they randomly stumble onto disreputable tailors in the cavernous bowels of Mahboonkrong - so I had to rely on racy internet gossip to track down a reliable tailor. My ever-present companion Charming Calvin - who finds off-the-rack suits far too unsuitable for his ... unconventional proportions - came along for the exhilarating tuk tuk ride as we went on a sharp suit search. 

Paul : I might have a three-piece made. Two button jacket. Maybe in dark charcoal.

Calvin : I'll have the same. 

Paul : What?!

Calvin : Why not? 

Paul : You want us to look like carbon copies? 

Calvin : I might look better. 

Ouch. Mayhap I might need an urgent appointment at the ubiquitous Thai aesthetic clinic.